1
2
as in to shift
to change one's position
the cat stirred, then opened its eyes and slowly got to its feet
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in to provoke
to rouse to strong feeling or action
news coverage of the fire stirred many to send donations to a fund for the families who had lost their homes
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
1
as in commotion
a state of noisy, confused activity
the plane's first jolt caused a stir among the passengers, and by the third one they were in a panic
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in shifting
the act or an instance of changing position
we were warned that the slightest stir would scare the mother bird so we hardly dared to breathe
Synonyms & Similar Words
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as in jail
a place of confinement for persons held in lawful custody
the mule had just got out of stir and was being followed by the feds, who had their sights set on the kingpin of the operation
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Recent Examples of stir
The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 July 2025
Add the corn and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally or until kernels brown in spots.
—arkansasonline.com, 8 July 2025
Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 19 June 2025
Ohtani’s return to pitching caused a stir around Chavez Ravine.
—Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 17 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for stir
Verb
Fill the glass with ice, and repeat with the other glass.
3: Fill a cocktail shaker with ice, stir together the Earl Grey simple syrup, lime juice and smoked paprika until thoroughly chilled and diluted, about 15 seconds.
—The Washington Post, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 July 2025
Add the corn and cook 5 minutes, stirring occasionally or until kernels brown in spots.
—arkansasonline.com, 8 July 2025
Noun
Later on, Zegler caused a stir with politically divisive social media posts about the 2024 presidential election.
—Tim Lammers, Forbes.com, 19 June 2025
Ohtani’s return to pitching caused a stir around Chavez Ravine.
—Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 17 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for stir
Recent Examples of Synonyms for stir
Verb
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Despite the macroeconomic factors swirling over Wall Street, a relative calm has descended across markets.—
Eleanor Pringle,
Fortune,
27 June 2025
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In March, rumors swirled after an article in The Sun alleged that British actor Aaron Taylor-Johnson, who’s starred in Avengers: Age of Ultron, Kick-Ass, and Bullet Train, had been formally offered the lead role, but no developments have occurred since.—
India Brown,
Robb Report,
26 June 2025
Verb
-
For Knight, everything — his empire, his purpose, his identity — shifted after Tupac’s death.—
Danielle Bacher,
People.com,
1 July 2025
-
The One Big Beautiful Bill Act intends to shift a portion of the program’s funding to states to reduce the rate of payment errors made by states administering the nation’s largest food assistance program.—
Samantha-Jo Roth,
The Washington Examiner,
1 July 2025
Verb
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Run adversarial simulations, employ red teams, and commission third-party evaluations that deliberately try to provoke harmful behaviors.—
Aytekin Tank,
Forbes.com,
8 July 2025
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Don't run away or climb a tree, which may provoke a chase.—
Kaycee Sloan,
The Enquirer,
8 July 2025
Verb
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Each garment piece is dyed and washed with a tie-dye effect before being assembled, creating a one-of-a-kind look when combined with other pieces.—
Andrea Onate,
Footwear News,
1 July 2025
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Once everything is removed, wash your hands and apply a hand cream or cuticle oil to give your nailbeds some extra R&R. Ahead, find some of the cutest nail art designs for summer from Heyhae’s latest drop.—
Jessie Quinn,
StyleCaster,
30 June 2025
Verb
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Through the soil created by centuries of decomposing plant life, through rocks ground down by shifting rivers and slowly moving mountains.—
Camila Domonoske,
NPR,
8 July 2025
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The sale runs through July 11, but the best stuff’s already moving fast, so don’t wait too long to check out.—
Annie Blackman,
Allure,
8 July 2025
Verb
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The editorial also criticized health benefit eligibility after eight years of service — a policy many cities use to encourage continuity and long-term commitment.—
Josh Levy,
Sun Sentinel,
12 July 2025
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Their main message is to encourage couples to actively consider the decision instead of following the norm.—
Tereza Shkurtaj,
People.com,
12 July 2025
Verb
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While the men of the colony greeted them eagerly, the women were whisked away by an order of nuns already living in the area.—
Ann Foster,
JSTOR Daily,
9 July 2025
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The script is way more confident when Gunn gets to scribble in the margins, whisking in Milly Alcock’s party-hardy Supergirl for a fast and fun cameo.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
8 July 2025
Verb
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Doing so could stimulate economic growth, and would be warmly welcomed by the White House and investors.—
Hugh Cameron,
MSNBC Newsweek,
11 July 2025
-
Examples include flashing notifications that make your phone jump and squeak, colorful rewards when others like your posts, and algorithms that push out the most emotional content to stimulate your most base emotions of anger, shame or glee.—
Lisa Schirch,
The Conversation,
7 July 2025
Cite this Entry
“Stir.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/stir. Accessed 17 Jul. 2025.
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